Street art, Lady Flamingo

Lady Flamingo is on the Grootzand.

Flamingo

Young flamingos are born with a rose-gray plume down plumage. The plumes of an adult flamingo range from very light pink to red. They get the color from bacteria and beta-carotene they get from their food. A brightly colored flamingo may be healthier than its grayish counterpart. The lump in the middle of the flamingo's leg is not a knee, but the ankle. Flamingos often stand on one leg and preferably in the water. The reason flamingos do this is thermoregulation. With one leg in the water they cool their body, but with two legs in the water they lose too much body heat.

Grootzand

The Grootzand is one of the main quays and canals in Sneek city center. The name is a corruption of the word zaan or sont, a narrow passage between wider waters. The canal ran from the Hoogend to the Neltjeszijl in the Hemdijk, and later to the Schaapmarktplein. It was navigable until the end of the 20th century, but is now closed to boats. The water used to be much wider, so skûtsjes and wide ships could also call at the city center.